CLAYTON - A winter chill in the air and the steady afternoon rain made for a messy day, but the elements didn't deter Clayton from sweeping Smithfield-Selma Wednesday afternoon in a Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference cross-country meet.

Paced by individual wins from Ryan Rudisill and Catie Simmons, respectively, the Comets squeaked out a 26-29 victory in the boys' event and easily captured the girls meet, 15-40.

Rudisill traversed the 3.1-mile, Clemmons Educational State Forest course in 18 minutes, three seconds in leading the boys to their victory, as Clayton runners took nine of the top ten places.

Simmons finished in 20:31, ninth overall among boys and girls in leading the girls to a sweep of the first 13 places.

Rudisill's time, his best on the Clemmons course this season, was 64 seconds better than that of runner-up Alex Green of SSS, as the teams alternated finishes among the top six individuals. Green finished in 19:07, a split-second in front of a hard-charging Will Crabtree of the Comets in a tense battle up the final hill for the second-place finish.

Tyler Simons placed fourth for the Spartans in 19:20, while Timothy Holzhauser placed fifth in 19:27 before the Spartans snapped the alternating scenario with sixth and seventh-place finishes from Kyle McKeel and Andrew Autry in 19:31 and 19:51, respectively.

But the Comets pulled out the win when Logan Shively placed eight in 19:59, and Stephen Garcia held off SSS's Collins Creech by inches as they were both credited with times of 20:33.

Next up for the Comets and Spartans are the Greater Neuse River Conference championships, which were held Tuesday in Wendell.